Yeah, but did he read the Hunter S. Thompson pastiche where Sonic and Mario are driving through Bat Country in an Eldorado?

2002 Cadillac Cien Concept

Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen sat down for an interview with Motor Trend’s Mark Rechtin this week to discuss everything from the future of the Escala concept and the brand’s CUE infotainment system to how he likes to spend his weekends.

De Nysschen led off by stating that the Escala concept, by virtue of being built on the Omega platform, “is far easier to turn into a production car than [the Cien or Elmiraj],” adding that it signals the evolution of Cadillac’s Art & Science design language and “what the future is for Cadillac design.”

With regards to the 4.2-liter twin-turbo and how it fits into a need to meet CAFE regulations, de Nysschen said that he was not ready to announce the engine for production, but that he finds it difficult for Cadillac “to make a credible brand statement of sophisticated refinement and emotional appeal without a modern eight-cylinder engine.” He added that while Cadillac is contemplating electrification after the failure of the ELR and still considers it a priority for the long run, the brand still believes that there is enough leeway in which it can work to make future internal combustion engines more efficient.

As for the future of CUE infotainment, de Nysschen commented that the next-generation setup “is completely reconfigured and will have a dual approach with a touchscreen and a rotary controller.” This decision would ostensibly give the user two methods for interaction, allowing them to cater the experience to their respective preferences. De Nysschen noted that the first generation of CUE infotainment “didn’t even meet our own expectations,” but stated that Cadillac plans to “overcompensate” with the second generation as a means to earn favor with customers.

Perhaps the biggest note from the interview was his response when asked to comment on the idea that Cadillac will manufacture a mid-engine performance coupe on the same platform as the upcoming Corvette Zora: “I go online every Sunday morning to read those stories for my entertainment.” Dude must not have the most exciting weekends, then. That, or he has literally found the bottom of the yawning chasm that is the internet and happened upon a dimension where the Cadillac Cien and Sonic the Hedgehog and Harry Potter are all a part of some quivering nightmare beast.

Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.